Herbicides derived from aryloxybenzenecarboxylic acid imides

A compound of the formula:

• ##STR32## wherein:
• Z is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and --C(X').dbd.;
• W, Y, Y', X, Z' and X' are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, NO.sub.2, CN, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 polyhalogenoalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy;
• R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of halogen, X.sup.2 R.sup.3 and NR.sup.4 R.sup.5 ;
• R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, allyl, propargyl, CN, NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, C(X.sup.2)R.sup.7, C(X.sup.2)X.sup.3 R.sup.8, C(X.sup.2)NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, SO.sub.2 F, SO.sub.2 OR.sup.8, SO.sub.2 NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, P(X.sup.2)R.sup.9 R.sup.10 and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl substituted by one or more of each of halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, NO.sub.2, CN, phenyl, phenyl substituted by one or more halogen atoms, and a carboxyl group or one of its derivatives of the salt, ester or amide type;
• R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, allyl and propargyl;
• R.sup.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, allyl, propargyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylcarbonyl and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulphonyl;
• R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, allyl, propargyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylcarbonyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulphonyl, a cation and OR.sup.6, wherein R.sup.6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a cation, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl;
• X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulphur;
• R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyl and C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkynyl;
• R.sup.8 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkynyl and a cation;
• R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, substituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, hydroxyl, OM, wherein M is a cation, halogen, X.sup.2 R.sup.3 and NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, wherein R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and X.sup.2 are as previously defined above, provided that
• (a) R.sup.2 is not COOCH.sub.3 when R.sup.1 is OCH.sub.3, W is NO.sub.2, Y' and Z' are H, X is CF.sub.3, Y is Cl and Z is --CH.dbd., and provided futher that
• (b) R.sup.2 is not H when X is NO.sub.2.